Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act

Republic Act 8425 is known as the Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act. The law was signed on December 11, 1997 and took effect June 3, 1998. It was enacted in order to alleviate poverty by empowering Filipino families to meet their needs by actively pursuing asset reform and redistribution of economic resources and institutionalizing the Social Reform Agenda (SRA). It created the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) served as coordinating and advisory body.

A representative from the women sector shall be a member of the NAPC. A People's Development Trust was also created for the use of registered microfinance organizations and local government units in programs implementing the SRA. Since women constitute half of the country's population, the social reform and poverty alleviation programs will therefore redound to their benefit.

Urban poor – An individual residing in an urban area whose income falls below the official poverty threshold and/or cannot afford in a sustained manner to provide their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing and other essential amenities of life.

Workers in informal sectors

Indigenous people and cultural communities

Differently-abled persons

Victims of calamities and disasters

Nongovernment organizations

Cooperatives

Social Reform Agenda

The Social Reform Agenda (SRA) was integrated in the National Anti-Poverty Action Agenda with the signing of this law. Hence, the National Anti-Poverty Action Agenda shall include the programs of the SRA, which shall have a multi-dimensional approach to poverty consisting of the following reforms:

Social dimension

Refers to access to quality basic services. These are reforms which refer to equitable control and access to social services and facilities such as education, health, housing, and other basic services which enable the citizens to meet their basic human needs and to live decent lives.

Ecological dimension

Refers to sustainable development of productive resources. These are reforms which ensure the effective and sustainable utilization of the natural and ecological resource base, thus assuring greater social acceptability and increased participation of the basic sectors in environmental and natural resources conservation, management and development

Economic dimension

Refers to the asset reform and access to economic opportunities.- Reforms which address the existing inequities in the ownership, distribution, management and control over natural and man-made resources from which they earn a living or increase the fruits of their labor.

Governance dimension

Refers to democratizing the decision making and management processes. These are reforms which enable the basic sectors to effectively participate in decision-making and management processes that affect their rights, interests and welfare.

Flagship programs

For the farmers and landless rural workers - agricultural development

For the fisherfolk - fisheries and aquatic resources conservation, management and development

For the indigenous people and communities - respect, protection and management of the ancestral domains

For the urban poor – socialized housing

For the workers in the informal sector – workers’ welfare and protection

For members of other disadvantaged groups such as the women, children, youth, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and victims of natural and man-made calamities - the Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services (CIDSS)